Ted Rogers Knihy

In mid-twentieth century Britain, the understanding of evil became a tangible reality shaped by the aftermath of total war. This examination focuses on the lives and works of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien, members of the Inklings, exploring their representations of evil, English identity, gender, and eroticism in their fiction. Their works in science fiction, horror, and fantasy reflect the moral devastation of the world wars, revealing a complex and diverse philosophical landscape that challenges previous interpretations of their literary contributions.

In mid twentieth century Britain, after the experience of total war, evil was not an abstract concept but a palpable reality. How was evil understood, and how did this understanding influence notions of English national identity? This book examines the lives and works of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien, members of the British literary club Inklings. It probes representations of evil, Englishness, gender and the erotic in their fiction and shows specifically how their science fiction, horror, and fantasy was a response to the moral and human devastation of two world wars. The book suggests that the Inkling's middle brow literature opens a window on a wider sense of uncertainty and longing about Englishness in the eve of decolonization and decline, while showing that the philosophical and theological make up of the group was more diverse than has been previousely represented.